Feeler mechanism for looms



I. SNOW. FEEL ER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. I920.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETS- SHEET I.

|. snow.

FE ELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMSL APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1920.

1,396,672. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

2 Sums-suan 2..

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC snow, or LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, assrcivon T0 nnarna conroimrron, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, a conrona'rron 0F MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FEELER MECHANISM roe Looms.

Application filed November 27,1920. Serial No. 426,700.

7 0 all when it 7!?[1-7/ cmwe'm:

Be it known that I, Isaac Snow, acitizen of the Unlted States, residin at Lawrence,

in the county of Essex and btate of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement 111 the shuttle becomes substantially exhausted,

a change inthe loom operation is effected.

The feeler mechanism of the present invention is of the rotary type wherein, when a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, engagement of the feeler with thefilling preventsrotative movement of the feeler about its longitudinal axis and when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, the feeler is given its rotary movementto effect replenishment of filling. A rotary feelerlof the general character indicated is show'n and described in the patent to Thomas Ferguson, No. 1,225,120, dated May8, 1917, and the present invention is a further development of that type of rotary feeler and embodies improvements thereon, as will more fully appear. i

()ne of the objects of the present invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the rotary type which willbe simplein construc tion, and more sensitive to the presence of filling in the shuttle and its substantial exhaustion on a detecting beat.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred construction of rotary feeler and the relation of parts when filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig; 1, Showing the relation of parts when the filling is subparts;

stantia-lly exhausted on a] detecting beat;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a modified form of a rotary feeler and its associated Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the relation of thefifeeler and its associated parts when a working. supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4,

showing the relation of parts when the filling is SllbSttLIltlfllly exhausted on a detecting beat; and

showing its spiral character. 1

'l I I 'lhe feeler of the present invention is formed wlth a spiral portion or blade, the

axis ofthe spiral of which extends longitu- Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

F lgqG is a front edge view of the feeler is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, the. filling isnolongersuiiicient to pre yent rotary movement of the feeler, and filling replenishment is thereby efl'ected. 3 1

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1

and 2 ofthe drawings: the feeler stand 1 is adjustably mounted upon the 100m frame 2 by means oftlie bolts 3 and slot 4. The feeler stand 1 has a front and rear bearing portion for a feeler carrier. In the present instance the front and rear bearing portions for the feeler carrier are constituted by up wardly extending lugs or flanges 5 and 6, respectively. Mounted for reciprocating movement in the front and rear bearing portions 5 and 6 is the feeler carrier 7. There are two general forms of feeler carriers now recognized in the art, one of which is constructed as a lever pivotally mounted on the loom frame, and the other of which is a slide; and the present invention is shown as associated with the slide form of feeler. The feeler carrier 7 has a frontwardly extending stem portion 8 on which is mounted the spring 9, one end ofwhich bears against the front bearing 5 and the other end of which bears against a shoulder 10 formed on the .feeler, the construction being such that the sprlng 9 normally acts to hold the feeler in its rearward feeling position with permissive movement frontwardly. A stop 11, which] may be conveniently formed as a p1n,serves to limit the rearward movement of the feeler carrier. i y

The rearwardly extendingportion of the feeler carrier 7 is formed as a spiral 12 'preferably constituted as a twisted blade. Associated with the spiral or twisted blade 12 of the feeler carrier is the feeler 13 which has a spiral or blade 14. The spirals or spiral blades 12 and 14 are maintained in cooperative relation'by means of pins 15 which may be conveniently seated in the spiral blade 12 of the feeler carrier and extend through the slots 16 formed in the spiral blade of the feeler, the construction being such that relative movement of the feeler and feeler carrier causes the spiral blade 14 of the feeler to turn axially as it is moved frontwardly relative to the spiral'blade 12 of the feeler carrier. The rear end portion 17 of the feeler is provided with teeth or a roughened surface adapted to engage the filling 18 or the bobbin or filling carrier 19, as the case may be.

The feeler carrier and feeler'are normally held in initial position as indicated in Fig. 1 by a yielding means such, for instance, as the spring 20 which may be conveniently coiled about astud or pin 21 on the teeler carrier and has an end portion 22 for engagement-with the feeler, the construction being such that after the feeler and feeler carrier have. been relatively moved by the frontward push against the feeler, the spring will normally return the feeler to its initial'position relative to the feeler carrler.

lVhen a workingsupply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, the toothedend portion .17 of the feeler will sink into the filling and will prevent the feeler 13 from partaking of the rotary movement which tends to be imparted to it by the frontward pressure, and the feeler and .feeler carrier will be moved frontwardly without disturbing their relative positions. When, however, thefilling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, and is no I longer sufiicient to prevent the rotative movement of the feeler, the latter will be moved frontwardlv and rotatively about the feeler carrier or blade .12; and advantage is taken of this relative movement of the feeler and feeler carrier to efiectreplenishment or fillingz I In the present instance of the, invention the rear end portions 6 of the feeler stand isv provided with a transversely extending slot in which is slidably mounted the controller 23 having a slot .24 through which the feel'er carrier 7 may freely pass. The slot 24 is-elo ngat'ed to permit the controller 28sto be moved transversely. The feeler 23 ,is connected to a transmitter 25 which,

by, movement transversely by the controller 23, efi'ects replenishment of filling through a the.

sual train otmechanism well'known in the art.

actuator, 26 whichfin the present instance of the invention, consists of an arm which may be secured to the spiral blade 14 of the feeler by means of a lug 27 and a set screw 28. The forwardly extending end portion of the controller actuator extends through a slot 29 of the actuator 23, the construction being such that when the feeler and feeler slide move frontwa-rdly without relative movement on a detecting beat, the controller actuator 26 will slide frontwardly through the opening or slot 29 of the controller without moving it laterally. When, however, the feeler is moved frontwardly and is turned upon its longitudinal axis owing to the depleted condition of the filling on a detecting beat, the controller actuator 26 will more the controller 23 laterally and cfiei-t replenishment of filling.

Vhen the feeler 13 has been moved frontwardly relative to the feeler carrier, it will be returned to its normal position as indicated in Fig. 1 by the spring 20.

In Figs. 3'to 6 inclusive, a modified form of the invention as indicated. In the modified form shown, the feeler stand 30 is provided with the flanges 31 and 32 through which extends the stem 33 of: the feeler 34, and a spring a 5 normally forces the feeler 34 into its rearward feeling position. A stop 36 limits the rearward movement of the feeler. Secured to the stem and the feeler 34 is the spiral portion or spiral blade 37 and the rear end of the tceler is provided with teeth 38 for engagement with the filling or filling carrier on a detecting beat.

The feeler stand 30 is adjustably secured to the loom frame 39 by a bolt 40 and slot 41 as indicated in Fig. 3.

Mounted at opposite sides oi the spiral blade portion of the feeler are the yielding bearing members 42, 43. which may be conveniently supported in the upstanding lugs 44 on the feeler stand. Tlhe yielding hearing members 42 and 43 are similarly Formed and comprise the flat plate portions 45 and laterally extending stems 46. A spring 47011 the stems 46 of eachof the bearing members acts normally to cause the end portions 42, 43 of the yielding bearing members to bear upon the opposite faces of the spiral portion or blade 37 of the feeler with permissive movement towardand from each other. One of the stems 46 of one of the yielding bearing members is conne'ted to atransmitter 48 which, through a train of mechanism now well understood in the art, may effect replenishment of filling.

. hen a. working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, as indicated in Fig. 4, the toothed end portions 38 of the feeler 34 will engage and sink into the filling as indicated in Fig. 4, and prevent rotative movement of the feeler as it is moved frontwardly. As the feeler 34 is movedfrontwardly, 4, the spiral portion 37 of the feeler will cause a lateral movement of the yielding bearing members i 42, 43, and owing; to the Connection with the transmitter 48, filling replenishment will be prevented. When, however, the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, as indicated in Fig. 5, the toothed end portion of the feeler 34 will no longer be held from turningmovement by the filling, and the feeler will be turned about its longitudinal axis owing to the -pressure of the yielding bearing members upon the spiral or blade porspiral blade 37, as by the pin 49, Fig.

3, the stem 33 is preferably made cylindrical so that it may turn with the feeler as the latter moves frontwardly on a detecting beat when filling is substantially exhausted, as

indicated in Fig. 5.

What is claimed is r-- I 1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having a flattened spirally twisted blade and mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, and means acting upon the spiral blade as the feeler is moved frontwardly on a detecting beat tending to turn the feeler about its longitudinal axis and prevented from effecting such turning movement by engagement of the feeler with the filling on a detecting beat until substantial exhaustion thereof. I I a 2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having a flattened spirally formed blade, means normally acting yieldingly to hold the feeler in rearward feeling position with permissive frontward movement ona detecting beat, a feeler turner which acts u on the spiral blade as the feeler is moved rontwardly on a detecting beat and tends to turn the feeler but which is prevented from effecting such turning movement by engagement of the feeler with the filling on a detecting beat until the filling is substantiall exhausted.

3. In a feeler mec anism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier, a feeler having a flattened spiral blade and mounted on the carrier for movement toward and from the front of the loom, means which acts yieldingly upon the spiral blade to turn the feeler about its longitudinal axis when the fillingis substantially exhaustedon a detecting beat, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler is turned about its longitudinal axis on a detecting beat.

4. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, a feeler mounted on the feeler carrier and having a flattened spirally twisted blade, and means acting upon the surface of the twisted blade tending to turn the feeler on a detectingbeat and prevented from effecting suchmovement until the filling is substantially exhausted. a

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of afeeler carrier mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, a spirally twisted bladed feeler mounted on the feeler carrier and constructed and arranged to have a yielding turning force exerted upon it as it moves frontwardly, a transversely movable member adapted to be moved transversely by the turning movement of the feeler, and a transmitter connected to said member for effecting replenishment of filling when the twisted bladed feeler is turned about its longitudinal axis on a detecting beat.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier having a spiral blade and mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, and a feeler mounted on the feeler carrier and having a spiral blade cooperating with the spiral blade of the feeler carrier.

7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier having a'portion formed as a spiral, a feeler having a portion formed as a spiral, and means for holding the spiral portions of the feeler carrier and feeler in cooperating relation with permissive relative movement.

8. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination of a feeler carrier having a portionformed as a spiral, a feeler having a ortion formed as a spiral means for holding the spiral portions of the feeler carrier and feeler in cooperating relation with permissive relative movement, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the spiral portions are relatively'moved on a detecting beat.

9. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier having a portion formed as a spiral, a feeler having a portion formed as a spiral, means for holdmg the spiral portions of the 'feeler carrier and feeler in cooperating relation with permissive relative movement, and means for restoring the spiral portions of the feeler and feeler carrier to initial relative positions when such relative position has been disturbed.

10. A feeler mechanism for looms com= prising, in combination, a feeler carrier having a rearwardly extending spiral portion, a feeler having a spiral portion held in 00- operative relation with the spiral portion of the feeler carrier, and yielding means which permits relative movement of the spiral portions of the feeler and feeler carrier. y

11. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising, in combination,- a feeler carrier mounted for movement toward and from the front of the 100m and having a spiral oortion' a feeder havin as iral" ortion means for holdingthe spiral portions in cooperative relation with permissive relative movement, and means for effecting replenishment offilling when thespiral portions of the feeler and feeler carrier are relatively moved on a detecting beat.

12. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, a feeler having a spirally twisted ISAAC SNOW. 

